Carrying On
by heartlessleostar
Summary: Daryl is shaken by the loss of his older brother, but he soon comes to realize, with a little help, that he no longer needs to be alone in facing the inner zombies which swarm and leech at his mind. Takes place toward the end of season 3. One shot.


The atmosphere within the prison was thick and heavy with chatter and the usual hustle-bustle that comes with moving out. Rick made his way down the stairs from the upper cells and called for the group to come together around him. Everyone had been packing and planning for the Governor's attack and things were rushed and tense. The group adjusted their bags and weapons and approached Rick, but Carol noticed Daryl sitting on the floor of his cell, facing the wall, seemingly unmovingly. Sighing, she turned her attention to Rick, who was already speaking.

"We can't afford to make any mistakes now. We're _not_ losing any more people" he said firmly and consulted his watch. Carol could tell his mind was still on Lori, but she couldn't blame him. No one was to blame for the loss of all their loved ones, and it was extremely difficult to deal with. At this thought, she fought the urge to glance at Daryl again and folded her arms tightly over her chest.

"In less than 10 minutes we all should be situated in different parts of the woods. Don't stay too far from the prison. Keep yourselves well hidden. Maggie, Glenn, be prepared to shoot" Rick continued and looked down. When he looked back up, his smile was strained. "We'll be alright. I know we will. Now let's get moving!"

Everyone started dispersing, Hershel hobbling away with the help of Carl, who was carrying the bags in his other arm. Beth walked on the other side of Hershel with baby Judith tightly held against her chest.

Rick approached Carol with a determined look on his face. He rubbed his stubbled chin and said in a low tone "Can you please get Daryl moving? I know he's mourning and it's tough, but we need to keep.." Carol nodded and cut him off "Don't worry. I've got this"

Rick smiled wistfully and walked toward the exit of Cell Block C, where Michonne was waiting for him. Michonne nodded to Rick once, albeit with something of a smile on her face, and walked out with him.

Carol headed to Daryl's cell and stood at the entrance, watching his bent frame for a few seconds. She took a deep breath.

"You know, I think of Sophia everyday. Some days it doesn't even register that she's not here with me. But, she is. and she always will be"

Daryl turned around and stared at her with hard eyes, his mouth pressed into a straight line. Carol continued, unperturbed.

"I won't ever be able to hear her voice, console her when she's afraid, scold her for breaking curfew, tell her to stand up to mean boys, to listen to her telling me about her first love, or anything else" Carol's blue-grey eyes sparkled with unshed tears but her kept them trained on Daryl. "But her spirit will always be with me. I think about Sophia and her innocence and the world is slightly more bearable... even if it's just a temporary feeling"

She gulped and shifted on her feet, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Merle might not be winning any awards for Best Brother, but he loved you. His last act was trying to protect us... protect you, Daryl. He redeemed himself at the end and remained loyal to you. I know you wish you had more time with him, wish that things had been different, but he's always with you, Daryl. Maybe not physically, but he is. Sophia's probably with him right now, going on about how hard you tried to find her, how you didn't give up. And Merle's listening and thinking about how far his kid brother has come, on his own. He's proud of his brother."

Daryl stared back at Carol with a softer expression on his face. She wiped her eyes and exhaled slowly.

"Don't lose yourself Daryl. You're worth more than you think you are, and Merle knows it. He's not the only one who loves you."

She stood before his crouched form and extended her arm to him. He took it and stumbled up on his feet, grunting, his figure ghosting over hers. He kept his hand in hers and Carol squeezed it, her eyes twinkling up at him. "C'mon, let's show this 'Governor' character who's boss around here" she chuckled.

Daryl smirked and rolled his eyes at her, then looked away shyly. Carol had always marveled at how child-like he could be at times and it warmed her heart. Daryl grabbed his crossbow off the bed and gazed back at Carol, his lips stretched into a grin. "It's something" Carol thought mildly and grinned back.

She turned to go and was halfway to the exit of the cell block when she heard quick footsteps behind her, followed by a hand and fingers slipping between her own. She looked up at Daryl as they walked and then dramatically stared at their conjoined hands. "Hm, are you feeling that? The tension? If we're quick enough we might find a quite part in the woods for some time alone, ya know."

Carol took utmost delight in seeing the tracker's face blush a bright pink and laughed out loud. "When are ya gonna stop, woman?" he said gruffly but playfully, shaking his head. Carol bit her lip in order to stifle her mirth and said nothing, instead she gripped his hand tighter, striding out of the prison with him.

Outside, the light seemed a little more bright than before to Daryl's eyes.

_I'm not alone. I never have to be, anymore._

* * *

**Fluffy!Caryl is my weakness ok :D and there is a teeny tiny smudge of Richonne if you squint hard enough.**


End file.
